Vapor and liquid contact apparatus and packing therefor



L. B. ,BRAGG 2,336,060

Dec, 7, 1943'. I

VAPOR AND LIQUID CONTACT 'APPARATUSAND PACKING THEREFOR Filed Nov; 16,1940 5 M 5/ mm mm 55 flw 0-5 M a a a M 4 5 m d 2 4 ATTORNEY 01 Fig. 2.

Patented Dec. 7, 1943 VAPOR AND LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS AND PACKmGTHEREFOR LeslieB. Bragg. Scotch Plains, N. J., assignor to FosterWheeler Corporation, New York, N. -Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication November 16, 1940, Serial No. 366,017 Q 9 Claims. (01.261-95) This invention relates to vapor and liquid contact apparatus,more particularly to packing for fractionating columns and the like, andespecially to packing of capillary material.

As used herein and in the claims, the expression capillary materialmeans a material having a plurality of spaced openings of such size thattheywill seal completely with the liquid being. treated. Woven wire ofany suitable metal or alloy is a satisfactory capillary materialprovided the .mesh openings .are small enough to seal with the liquidunder treatment. The capillary material may be made of other suitablematerials, such as fabric, asbestos, glass, slag wool, plastics orsimilar substances. Materials not sufficiently rigid in themselvesrequire structural support to sustain the packing.

The invention provides a packing of capillary material which is soconstructed and arranged that the liquid under treatment will remain onthe packing in its flow downwardly through the column and will not reachthe wall of the cola part thereof, and in which:

Fig. .1 is a vertical sectional view of part of a fractionating columnhaving packing of capillary material arranged in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale,taken onirregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of one of the component discs orsheets of the packing, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 I0 designates the shell ofa fractionating column having a plurality of discs or layers I I ofcapillary material in the form of metal wire gauze having mesh openingswhich seal with the liquid undertreatment. It will be understood thatthe vapor to be fractionated is introduced into the lower part of thecolumn In below the packing II and that liquid, as reflux or otherwise,is introduced into the upper part of the column above the packing andflows downwardly-through the column from disc to disc counter-current toand in contact with the vapor flowing upwardly through he column.

In the form shown, each disc II is shaped or formed to provide aplurality of rows of pyramids It, with thepyramids in adjacent rowsbeing-disposed in staggered relationship, and a plurality of vaporopenings l3, each at the base portion of three adjacent pyramids. Thepyramids and vapor openings are substantially regularly disposed on eachdisc. The vapor openings l3 are larger than the mesh openings of themetal gauze and are of sufiicient size so as not to seal with the liquidunder treatment. Preferably all the discs are alike with respect to thepattern, or arrangement, of pyramids and openings, and in assemblingthem into a packing, the discs are disposed so that the apices I4 of thepyramids I2 of each disc are in vertical alignment and in contact withthe points of junction [5 of each group of three adjacent pyramids onthe disc next above. This is accomplished by starting the packing withone disc, placing a second disc upon the first disc in such positionthat the pattern is at an angle of to the pattern of the first disc andwith the points of junction l5 of the second disc in engagement with theapices H of the'pyramids of the first disc, placing a third disc uponthe second disc with its pattern at an angle of 120 to the pattern ofthe second disc with the points of junction l5 of the third disc inengagement with the apices it of the pyramids of the second disc,placing a fourth disc upon the third disc with its pattern in verticalalignment with the pattern of the first disc and with the points ofjunction of the fourth disc in engagement with the apices of thepyramids of the third disc.

its base and three spaced outlet openings, onein each of the threeadjacent sides forming the.

upper portion of the cell. Each cell thus is fed with vapor from each ofthree similar cells immediately beloweach cell. The layers are securedtogether by any suitable means, preferably by welding the apices of thepyramids to the junction points of groups of three adjacent pyramids.

To prevent the down flowing liquid from reaching the wall of thecolumn-and thereafter flowing down the column wall, the peripheralportion of each disc, in the form shown, is turned upwardly to provide avertically inclined lip l6, preferably having substantially the sameheight as the pyramids l2 and substantially the same inclination to thehorizontal as the sides of the pyramids. contact with the inner wall ofthe column Ill, or it may be in engagement with a lining, or packingenclosing device, within the column.

In operation, the vapor introduced into the column below the packing,flows into the openings l3 in the'lowermost disc I i and into the cellsof which these openings form the inlets, and after flowing in contactwith the liquid on the walls of these cells, the vapor divides and flowsout the three outlet openings of each cell into the cells immediatelyabove these outlet openings, along with vapor from the two other cellsadjoining each outlet opening. In this manner, each vapor streamentering the lowermost cells is divided into three streams flowingfromthese cells, and each of the divided streams in flowing into the cellsnext above, combines and mixes with two divided streams from adjacentcells, after which this combination is divided into three streams inflowing from the said cells next above, and so on through the packingwith repeated divisions, combinations and mixings. The liquid in flowingdownwardly through the packing, divides at each apex of each pyramidinto three streams, one flowing down each side of each pyramid, each ofthese divided streams flows toward the two junction points adjacent thelower ends of each side of a pyramid, and there combines with liquidflowing down the sides of the two adjacent pyramids adjacent thejunction point, the combined streams flow through the mesh at thejunction points to the apices of the pyramids below the junction pointsand again divides and flows down the sides of the pyramids. Due to theinclination of the sides of the pyramids, there is a tendency for theliquid to flow toward the wall of the column, but the use of theupturned lips prevents the liquid from reaching the column wall becausethe liquid will not flow up the inpacking. In this manner, substantiallyuniform distribution of the liquid on the packing is obtained andmaintained regardless of the height of the packing.

Although the invention has been disclosed in association with aparticular form of packing, it will be understood that the upturned lipmay be employed with other forms of packing of capillary materialwhether or not of the cellular type disclosed. In other words, theupturned lip at the periphery of the packing will prevent the liquidflowing downwardly through'the packing from reaching the column wall andshort circuiting the remainder of the packing, thereby seriouslyinterfering with the efficiency of the packing and the column, and canbe employed .with any and all forms of capillary material packing,regardless of whether or not the vapor and liquid are divided andcombined as in the form of packing disclosed.

The expression vapor" as used herein and in V the claims includes gas"within its scope.

The upper edge of the lip I6 is :in

asaaoeo understood that the invention is not to be limited excepting bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Packing for vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising capillarymaterial having mesh openings which seal with liquid under treatment,said material being arranged to provide contact of vapor with a thinfilm of liquid and adapted to be positioned in a column, the capillarymaterial having a lipat its periphery inclined upwardly and outwardly ofsaid material toward the wall of the column. 2. Packing for vapor andliquid contact apparatus comprising superposed sheets of capillarymaterial having mesh openings which seal with liquid under treatment,said material being adapted to be positioned in a column, each sheethaving a pattern of integral raised portions forming with adjacentsheets a multiplicity of interconnected cells and perforations largerthan the mesh openings of the material to provide vapor passages to andfrom each cell, at least some of said sheets having a peripheral portioninclined upwardly and outwardly of the sheet toward the wall of thecolumn.

3. Packing for vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising superposedsheets of capillary material having mesh openings which seal with liquidunder treatment, said material being adapted to be positioned in acolumn, each sheet having. pyramidal indentations arranged in rows, thepyramids in each row being staggered with respect to those in adjacentrows, and vapor passages arranged in rows, the passages in each rowbeing staggered withrespect to thosein adjacent rows, theinterconnecting wall portions of adjacent pyramids providing numerouscontacts between adjacent sheets and forming cells in successivesections at different elevations for initimate intermingling of vaporentering said cells through said passages, at least some of said sheetshaving a peripheral portion inclined upwardly and outwardly of the sheettoward the wall of the column.

4. Packing for vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising superposedsheets of capillary material. having mesh openings which seal withliquid under treatment, said material being adapted to be positionedin'a column, each sheet having pyramidal indentations arranged in rows,the pyramids in each row being staggered with respect to those inadjacent rows, and vapor passages arranged in rows, the passages in eachrow being staggered with respect to those in adjacent rows, theinterconnecting wall portions of adjacent pyramids providing numerouscontacts between adjacent sheets and forming cells in sucthe same angleto the plane of the bottom, of the sheet as the side wall of thepyramids thereon.

5. Vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising a column and a packingtherefor comprising capillary material having mesh openings which sealwith liquid under treatment, said material being arranged to providecontact of vapor with a thin film of liquid, the capillary materialhaving a plurality of spaced peripheral lips extending upwardly andoutwardly of the packing and toward the wall of the column.

8i Vapor andliquid contact apparatus comprising a column and a packingtherefor comprising superposed sheets of capillary material having meshopenings which seal with liquid under treatment, each sheet having apattern of integral raised portions forming with adjacent sheets amultiplicity of interconnected cells and per-fora; tions larger than themesh openings or the material to provide vapor passages to and from eachcell, at least some of said sheets having a peripheral portion extendingupwardly and outwardly oi the sheets toward the wall or the col- "I.Vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising a column and a packingtherefor comprising superposed sheets 01 capillary material, each sheethaving pyramidal indentations arranged in rows, the pyramids in each rowbeing staggered with respect to those in adjacent rows, and vaporpassages arranged in rows, the passages in each row being staggered withrespect to those in adiaeent rows. the interconnecting'wall portion oiadjacent pyramids providing numerous contacts between adjacent sheetsand forming cells in successive sections at diflerent elevations forinti-. mate inter-mingling of vapor entering said cells through saidpassages, at least some 01 said sheets having a peripheral'portioninclined upwardly being adapted to be positioned in a column andarranged to provide contact of vapor with a thin film of liquid, atleast some of said sheets having a lip at their periphery inclinedupwardly and outwardly oi the sheets and into contact with the wall 01the column. v 9. Vapor and liquid contact apparatus comprising a columnand a packing therefor comprising superposed sheetsoi capillarymaterial, the mesh openings oi. which seal with liquid untier-treatment,each sheet having pyramidal indentations arranged in rows, the pyramidsin each row being staggered with respect to those in adjacent rows, andvapor passages arranged in rows. the passages in each row beingstaggered with respect to-those in adjacent rows, the interconnectingwall portions or adjacent pyramids providing numerous contacts betweenadjacent sheets and forming cells in successive sections at diflerentelevations-tor intimate intermingling or and outwardly oi'the sheets and01 a height sub stantially equal to the height of the pyramids thereonand extending at substantially the same ngle to the plane oi the bottom0! the sheet as mids thereon and the side wall 01' the pyramids thereonand toward the column.

the wall of the column.

vapor entering said cells through said passages,

at least some of said sheets having a peripheral 7 portion 0! a heightsubstantially equal to the height of the pyramids thereon and extendingupwardly and outwardly oi the sheets at substantially the same angle tothe plane oi. the bottom of the sheet as the side wall 01' the pyraintocontact with the wall of LESLIE B. BRAQG.

